1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auction apparatus and an auction method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A distribution service has been known which distributes various kinds of content to a terminal apparatus of the user through the Internet. As an example of the distribution service, a moving image distribution service has been known which distributes moving image content and advertising content which is displayed in a display area of the moving image content.
In regard to the moving image distribution service, a technique called a program auction has been proposed. Specifically, in the program auction, sponsors bid for a given amount of investment money and only the sponsor who bids against the other sponsors has a broadcast right to a CM space for broadcasting hours. This program auction is used to make a definite promise to ensure funds beforehand.
However, in the related art, it is difficult to display the advertisements which are desired by the advertiser in a moving image content distributed by, for example, the Internet. Specifically, in general, advertisements are incorporated into the moving image content distributed by, for example, the Internet. Therefore, in some cases, when a long period of time has elapsed from the incorporation of the advertisements into the moving image content, the advertiser continues to distribute old advertisements. The technique related to the program auction does not pay attention to the display of the advertisements desired by the advertiser in the content.